Hi everyone! Some of you may remember me from my last little jaunt at DHgate.com, last year. Well, it’s been six months and I’ve finally returned to DH Towers to bring you the insights that matter when it comes to Chinese products and services.

What have I been up to I hear you ask? (Or maybe not but I’m gunna tell you anyway).

As a freelance technologist, I’ve mainly been partaking in nerdy indulgences under the guise of ‘it’s my job’, though if you were to ask my mother (almost after fifteen years of doing this commercially) I’m sure she’d still describe it as ‘playing’.

My return to Beijing has been a nice relaxing experience so far (though I dare say that will change quite quickly). I’ve taken in a little bit of culture, (for those of you who know me, you’ll understand it’s something I seldom get the time for now days).

First up was the Forbidden City; found in the centre of Beijing, is the de facto example of Chinese palatial architecture. Boasting over 900 individual builds, the Forbidden City was original designed to exclusively accommodate the Chinese Emperor and his household and was off limits to members of the public at the time (hence the name).

It was only after the formation of the Chinese Republic that the policy changed and the wonders within were available to the public at large.

If you ever get the chance, go and see it! It’s possibly the most spectacular complexes of buildings in the world (and a listed UNSECO World Heritage Site). Vast courtyards, incredibly detailed, opulent architectural and sumptuous interiors, if only I could afford the mortgage.

The last two quarters saw me back in Manchester (UK), getting down to the nitty gritty of the latest developments in digital media.

From the bohemian surroundings MadLab (Manchester’s premier hacker space / digital creativity space) to the (often blurry eyed) social events of GeekUp ; much fun was had but equally, much was learnt.

The greatest insight has seen me be being witness to the need for organisations to adjust to a new economical climate.

With the recent turbulence experienced in global economies, there has been a sudden need to adapt strategically and focus on lower overheads (presenting an interesting challenge in technical departments (given the relatively high levels of investment organisational have committed the last decade).

It’s been interesting to see how a department on the front line of these economic reforms adjusts to the impacts and works to mitigate further risks.

Reducing Operational Expenditure (OpEx) can often be a daunting task, especially if there’s potential for the claw backs to impact on your organisations Human Capital. It surprises me how often organisations overlook the potential for OpEx saving by sourcing direct from manufacturers in China; for most organisations the main barriers seems to be a (miss-placed) preconception of high risk / high complexity and a lack of knowledge within the organisation to use at overseas companies for procurement (this seems to be especially prevalent in SMEs).

Looking back to the early eighties; global, cross boarder markets really started to open up (namely as a result of competitive manufacturing costs, wide scale privatisation and a greater onus on variety / product width), but it was only the larger organisations and entrepreneurs who had both access and the resources to source from outside their locality.

People’s perceptions of scale have changed in parallel with these technological advances; distance has been replaced by time, people are no longer ‘on the other side of the world’ , they’re ‘twelve hours difference’ away. /The technological revolution has removed the barriers and has opened up a once exclusive resource to the public.

As is often the case, technology spearheaded this shift and it has taken time for supporting services to catch up (logistics, financial and legal et al).

We’ve now reached a point where you can sit in a Cafe Nero sipping a skinny latte in Rickmansworth and order a space hopper from Shan Zhen end-to-end (including payment and shipping) within about five minutes!

In many ways the opening up of the imperial palace is much like the changes we’ve witness over the last ten years with cross border trading.

As once before the doors of the great place were opened up to the public for the first time, now too are the gates of cross-border procurement opening.

Through a single, accessible and secure platform, organisations and individuals (small and large alike) can realise the true potential of buying direct from source. It takes about as much effort as buying a Skinny Latte from Café Nero in Rickmansworth.

Halloween, that darkest and most thrill-filled of all festivals, is nearly upon us. Considered the one night of the year when the door between the living and the dead opens a crack, allowing the undead spirits to walk amongst us, Halloween has developed from its Scots-Irish ancestry to become one of the best-loved festivals of the English speaking world and beyond. The thrill of dressing up, the sweet pleasure of candy and fruit and the joy of briefly embracing the dark side have made Halloween a delight for all involved.

The range of Halloween ghosts, monsters and legends are well known to all. Anything dark, frightening or sinister is considered part of the Halloween spirit, and dressing up is essential! Thus, famous horror film staples like Dracula, Frankenstein, werewolves, witches, wizards and warlocks, zombies and Mummies are perennial favorites. For those less inclined to horror, pirates, cats, fairies, ballerinas and angels are also popular costumes. There’s also a wealth of Halloween imagery, from bats to spiders to cobwebs to jack-o-lanterns to skulls to snakes – anything spooky, sinister or creepy is good!

Here at DHgate.com, our Halloween selection is extensive and our promotions sure to spark your interest. Halloween is becoming ever more popular and is sure to provide good opportunities for your re-sale business. We shall be featuring products and categories as Halloween nears. For now, why not have a look at our Halloween costumes? Adults may also have their own Halloween parties, so they have their own range of sexy Halloween costumes! Or see what’s available in our line of Halloween masks? There are hundreds to choose from. Those with a touch more creative flair might prefer making their own frightening decorations – as you can see here.

With such range, choice and value, DHgate.com is the perfect place to stock up on Halloween supplies! Your customers are sure to love what you have in store for them.

The nature of online trading necessitates dealing with people you have never met and buying goods you have never handled. There’s always a leap of faith involved – you have to trust that the seller will send the goods as described, as promised, on time. Otherwise you’re sending money out, blindly hoping things will be as described, which is not a suitable way to conduct business, to say the least.

The development of trust in business is interesting. In pre-industrial times, you knew the person whose product you were buying; usually they were the person who had made it, whether they be farmer, blacksmith or baker. In the industrial era you may not have known who produced something (goods being more often mass produced in factories) but likely you knew who was selling it. Also, companies started using branding to give a sense of themselves – whether the active, high-achieving Nike or the downhome, friendly Colonel Sanders of KFC. Now the degree to which a company is trusted is even quantified in its accounts as “goodwill”. It affects the bottom line, just like any other aspect of a corporation.

But now, in the age of information technology, we don’t need to leave our homes to buy products; we can order just about anything we want online. We’re able to buy products from retailers and wholesalers at the other end of the world. This has enormous advantages – we are literally in a global market place and are no longer restricted by geography, language or culture – yet with the loss of personal contact during transactions, trust is harder to quantify.

On DHgate.com (and other online retailers), trust is created by buyer and seller ratings. Transactions which go well are rated positively; traders with high ratings on a large volume of business clearly have a strong history of trustworthy behavior. One can also view the comments given: each transaction requires feedback from both buyer and seller. This lets everyone see who they are dealing with.

Trust is vital. Without it we cannot be certain about our dealings with others, and our ability to conduct business is significantly eroded. The best way to create trust, of course, is to be trustworthy. Be honest, be prompt, be clear. And you will enjoy forming long-term, profitable relationships.

Summer is almost gone and now it’s time for students to go back to school and you to take advantage of DHgate’s back-to-school sales for this season. You can find a large collection of back-to-school supplies such as cool electronics, hot fashion items and cell phones. Most of these best sellers can be shipped for free. Prices start from just US$0.91 and some items are even offered at a 50% off discount. The electronics, fashion items and cell phones featured in this back-to-school promotion have particular appeal to high school and college students.

This sizzling summer cannot stop a fashionable lady from D-I-Y-ing a fresh yet pretty hairstyle. Among a dizzying choice of synthetic hair extensions, the following five types of summer hot sellers, plus the classic yet trendy braided chignon, are ideal for their D-I-Y hair styling.

Hair Extension to Lengthen Hair

Cannot wait to have a long yet wavy hairstyle? Choose this one piece clip in soft wavy extension. By parting the hair horizontally from one side of the head to the other side and clipping the extension between the two parts, fashionable ladies can have long wavy hairstyles in a flash, thus giving a graceful look. Made of synthetic hair, the extension stays gorgeous no matter what the weather has in store.

Hair Extension to Bump up Volume

Still fussy about thin volume of hair? This one piece bump up the volume extension can be very helpful. Simply clipped to the crown where thickness is needed most, the extension can make up for the flatness of the head shape and magically create a voluminous yet natural-looking hairstyle. Please note that dryers, curling irons or other thermal tools should not be used on this synthetic hair extension as heat may damage it. Read More

Tattoos are still all the rage these days. People get tattooed for different reasons, such as to hide disfiguring scars, to record a memorable experience, to show their personality. For tattoo shop owners, besides employing licensed practitioners, preparing a complete set of tattoo supplies to ensure a safe and satisfying environment for customers is an essential part of business.

Tattoo Designs

Tattoos can take on a wide variety of designs. It is not just knives, anchors and scorpions anymore – from school emblems to personalized symbols, people have found many designs to show their personality. In addition to already designed options, a tattooist can also create personalized tattoo designs. For example, Julia Gnuse (the most tattooed women according to the Guinness World Records) has 95% of her body inked by her tattooist, whose designs are considered as precious art. Read More

Data shows that less than 35% of digital photos are printed around the world. PCs or laptops usually serve as temporary photo albums for people to show their photos to friends or relatives.

Digital photo frames hit the market with several advantages over those cumbersome mediums – freeing up space on PCs, laptops or cell phones and reducing inconvenience to photo viewing. Based on appearance, the photo digital frame is the same as a traditional black, white or color photo frame; functionally, it also acts as a photo album. With a built-in memory card, it can store 1000+ photos in different formats, such as JPG, BMP, GIF and TIG. The slideshow function allows people to view a selection of photos anytime and anywhere. Read More

When it comes to business attire for interviews, solid color, conservative suits are the first thing that comes to our minds. Obviously, no one would recommend polo shirts for formal interview attire. But after people accept the job offer, they may find business casual, which is a popular dress code in offices, appropriate for their workplace especially in spring and summer. In this case, polo shirts are their best option for business casual attire.

Polo shirts, also known as golf shirts and tennis shirts, are T-shaped shirts with collars, typically two-button plackets. They are very common and available in various colors and patterns for both men and women. Any shirts or any other clothing, which displays offensive words or pictures, are just unacceptable. For career women, polo shirts can avoid a sexually provocative look from blouses that are too low-cut or too short. According to a survey, women who wear short T-shirts or blouses, which show their cleavages and bellies at the office, may be overlooked for promotion and pay increases. These results indicate that sexy dressing at work has a subliminal negative impact on career success. Helping to project a business-like image, polo shirts are strongly recommended to professionals who enjoy more relaxed and comfortable clothing at work. Read More

Glitzy socialites’ moments of limelight in front of the camera or celebs’ walks down the red carpet always give us an eyeful of glamorous looks. Every lady tries to stand out with her fresh and fabulous style. She may be lovely like a cute girl, sexy as Marilyn Monroe, or graceful as Audrey Hepburn. Pairing the right hairstyle with the appropriate outfit is the key to achieving this range of looks.

Media favorite Paris Hilton and superstar Jessica Simpson are among the fashionable ladies using hair extensions to show their personal style. Jessica and her hairstylist, Ken Paves, even created her own brand of extensions – Hairdo.

For most fashion-conscious ladies, picking clothes that are both affordable and chic is extremely important. Maxi dresses that are comfortable, classy but also have a great price can absolutely meet their needs. Maxi dresses are usually ankle or floor-length empire waist casual dresses that come in various necklines, prints and colors. They are formfitting at the top and loose flowing at the bottom. Floral print maxi dresses are really popular among teens for their sweet and stylish look.

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losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an
as-is basis. Reader discretion is advised before making any decisions based on the information
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from information obtained from this site. Opinions and viewpoints expressed in this blog are
entirely personal to the author. Trademarked names, logos and other proprietary information
quoted on this site are property of respective companies/owners and are mentioned here for
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